


Ruins of Spring

by Jikininki



Category: Castlevania (Cartoon), 悪魔城ドラキュラ | Castlevania Series
Genre: Anal Sex, Angst, Awkward Conversations, Awkward First Times, Blood Drinking, Drunk Sex, Guilt, Hand Jobs, Home improvements, Inexperienced Alucard, M/M, Oral Sex, Porn with Feelings, Smut
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-15
Updated: 2018-12-29
Packaged: 2019-09-18 11:05:11
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 15,224
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16993848
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jikininki/pseuds/Jikininki
Summary: In the aftermath of the battle with Dracula Trevor and Sypha set off to find her family. They part ways when she sends Trevor on an errand that brings him to the one place he wants to be the least. Where unwelcome memories haunt him, he crosses paths with Alucard and they share a drink and their sorrow. Trevor questions his fate in an uncertain future that seems to hold only obligation and as usual, the vampire complicates everything.





	1. One - Trevor

**Author's Note:**

> *In Progress*

Sypha scoffed in exasperation and abandoned the old tome she was reading onto a pile of discarded books. Trevor watched her dispassionately, chewing on a chunk of bread. Their campfire crackled lazily, emitting a rising plume of sparks into the moonless night. They had been on the road for weeks. Without the direction of their leader, the night hordes had dissipated into the countryside and formed small marauding troops, killing at will. 

They had encountered a fair few of them themselves in their travels, and had been earning a meager income helping the towns rid themselves of their own local demons, while constantly asking after the Speakers. He had been certain they would have come across her people by now but it seemed they had diverged from their planned path at some point. They were left to chase rumors across Wallachia in pursuit. 

Sypha's mood was growing blacker by the day and she had resorted to skimming the many books she had dragged along with them as a distraction. Trevor was glad she had brought them along because when she wasn't doing that she was sniping at him in irritation. 

She stared fretfully into the fire. 

“The people in that hamlet said they passed through this direction right? The largest town this road leads to is Valenti. I say we check there.”

“Yes, alright.” agreed Trevor. “But can we please get an Inn next time? We have the coin.”

“No!” admonished Sypha. “The church would love to find us that way! A speaker and a Belmont traveling together would be too obvious!”

Trevor pulled his cloak tighter around his neck against a cold breeze. What he would do for a drink right now. Somewhere in the distance something howled.

 

Three days later found them in Valenti where Sypha's happiness was radiant when she saw the worn face of her grandfather. Their tears of happiness fell as they embraced. Trevor shifted his feet uncomfortably. The display of familial unity made him feel very much the outsider. He blushed furiously as the old man grasped his hand in both of his and thanked him for the safe return of their girl. 

As it passed, the group at large had traveled to Valenti, escaping most of the hordes so far. When they heard of Dracula's fall and the events at Braila they had sent men to search for Sypha in the aftermath. Word had traveled fast. They sat up most of the night, exchanging stories. When they finally retired, Sypha came to edge her way under his cloak, settling against him like a cat. 

“We must go after my people who went to search for me, but I don't want to leave my grandfather unprotected until he reaches a safer place...”

Trevor grasped the question in her tone and gave her a weary look. 

“Are you telling me that you want me to go all the way back to Braila to look for a couple of speakers?”

“Yes.” Sypha replied, simply, as if the matter was closed. 

Trevor found himself packing a horse that next morning and waving off the many speakers enthusiastically wishing him well. Sypha came to him before he mounted with a piece of parchment and an embrace. 

“While you're nearby can you bring me back this list of books? I think they'll help us fight the hordes more efficiently. I think I'm close to understanding something. Maybe you'll see Alucard.” 

Trevor frowned but slipped the paper in his pocket, tucked his sword in his belt and mounted the horse.

“Have a safe trip.” Sypha told him.

 

One day in proved that this wasn't a safe trip, however. It poured rain on him as he camped, and a stray group of demons attempted to claim the life of his horse, which he heroically defended, in his opinion. Defiantly, he promised himself he would stay at an Inn the next night.

Over his third ale, he was thanking himself for the warmth of the inn and he hailed the bartender again, knowing Sypha wouldn't approve. He took full advantage of her absence and got hammered drunk and slept it off late into the morning. He spent two more days this way at different inns with the same results. On the morning of the last days ride to Braila, Trevor rolled over in the morning light and stretched his limbs out over the lumpy bed. He marveled guiltily at how much he had enjoyed sleeping alone. He liked his bed space. When he had a bed that was. 

The inn at Braila hadn't escaped the destruction, despite being located away from the main site of the battle. Dracula's castle had landed on the block across before disappearing again so Trevor's broken window overlooked the flattened pavement where the castle had briefly stood. 

The search for the speakers turned out to be a surprisingly short order. Trevor spent 3 days drinking his way through the city and talking to the folk. Turns out the speakers had been through. He had only to be careful not to betray his identity to the towns people and to down ale until he learned of two men asking for a speaker woman and a hunter. 

He found the two young men camping on the outskirts of town, and although they were cold and wet from the rain, they were abundantly thankful for the good news. He explained only as much as he had to and when it was time to part he declined to ride with them, giving Sypha's errand as an excuse. He waved them off with a smile, but it fell from his face, along with his pretense as they rode out of sight. He mounted his own horse and rode in the direction of the Belmont keep. 

Trevor folded the list over in his pocket. He swallowed a lump in his throat. He didn't want to relive the horror of their trial so soon after it had happened, and he didn't want to relive his childhood searching around the grounds of his old home. He wondered if he'd made a mistake bequeathing it to Alucard. He could have taken up it's care again, married and carried on a legacy there. But for who? Ancestors long dead? He didn't know what he wanted. Something told him he wasn't the settling type. Maybe that's why he was giving away his legacy to the son of Dracula and not to Sypha. A guilty stone rolled in his stomach in time with the horses trot.

The clouds obscured the sun only for a few moments at a time so that for the majority of the day the sun warmed Trevor's back. The path leading to his estate's hamlet had a pleasant aura of rebirth. The new growth was sprouting even from between the cracked stones of the road. The trees grew denser and the buildings sparser the closer he came, and he allowed his horse to slow to a walk. The path brought him to the final trail to the property and Trevor stopped to admire the setting sunlight diffused through the mist and leaves. He remembered staring through these same trees and wondering how he could ever leave this place. Now he could barely bring himself to come back. 

Above the treetops the dark Castle loomed the closer he drew. Trevor imagined how his relatives would roll in their graves to see the Belmont home destroyed and replaced by a vampire lair complete with vampire. He brought the horse to the the standing ruins of the stable and hitched him to a suitable stall.

The list Sypha had given him included 4 tomes. She seemed to have dedicated herself wholeheartedly to the written word since their visit to the Belmont hold and Trevor wondered how long until their caravan resembled a moving library instead of a pair of legendary heroes. She was a prolific reader and Trevor was in awe of her ability to consume books at a rapid rate. After a certain age there had been no one left to assign texts to the young Trevor Belmont, and he himself had fallen out of the habit of reading much ever since. 

The destroyed staircase into the hold posed somewhat of a challenge now that it had been collapsed. Certain parts he had no choice but to traverse using his morning star to swing from one level to the next. It took him the better part of an hour but he found his way to the bottom. He looked around. Mostly in order. It occurred to him that perhaps he should secure this place somehow. They would need this place and all it held in the coming war. That was a project for another day. He consulted the ledger to find the books Sypha had asked for. Luckily they were located in the same section and he found himself with the entire evening before him. 

Well, he thought, he could read. Instead he found himself wandering the halls holding the last of the family relics. He came to stand before the shelf that held the skulls of the vampires killed by his ancestors.

He found himself thinking irresistibly of Alucard. The perfect skulls gazed back at him with malice. He'd found it unfair of Alucard to hold Trevor personally responsible for their deaths. Hadn't they fought, in the end, for the same side? He'd admitted himself Dracula and his Generals had to be stopped to save the human race. His hypocrisy was as annoying as his condescension decided Trevor. 

He packed the books into his bag and climbed gradually out of the hold. The moon was full by the time he clamored from the entrance and it crested the hills and lit the castle in an eerie silver glow. Overgrown and steeped in darkness the old estate now looked perfectly spooky in the mist. He squinted into the fog making sure no demons lingered in the shadows. He shivered. He didn't want to stay here. He peered curiously up at the castle not for the first time since his arrival. Sypha probably expected him to go there. 

The prospect made Trevor feel distinctly awkward. There was still mistrust. On both ends, he imagined. As he stood facing their respective homes, the irony of Dracula's castle coming to stand before the infamous Belmont estate seemed like a massive failure on both their legacies. He laughed dryly to himself and unhitched his horse. He only had one stop before he could leave this place.

His tree, which looked quite as bedraggled as he felt, was starting to sprout new leaves. He stopped his horse here and got off. He approached the tree and sighed deeply. He put a hand to it. 

“It's been a long time old friend.”

With his back against his tree Trevor pulled out a bottle from his pack. Feeling out of sorts and vaguely depressed, he took a deep pull from the bottle and peered up at Alucard's castle. Was the man up there? What was he doing? Could he be working on the intricacies of Dracula's unfinished works? Was he mourning his father? Was he, like Trevor, alone but entangled in obligation, his path set forth by forces greater than himself?

When he was a child they could have been friends. Two well bred young men with legendary families behind them. His unmistakable aristocratic make had made him a target when he'd turned up on the streets. He'd been young and so naive. He had to grow up fast and he'd shed his haughty airs along with his innocence. Alucard was so haughty he probably wouldn't look twice at the teenage Trevor, no more than a hooligan stealing and fighting in the streets. He'd needed friends then. Sypha would say he needed them now. 

“Sypha, I'm so sorry I'm not who you think I am.” He announced to the forest. 

The tree rustled in the breeze and his horse at the road whinnied and stomped. Trevor had the abrupt sensation that he wasn't alone anymore and he was to his feet with his short sword in hand by the time the forest answered, 

“Who are you then, if you're not Trevor Belmont?”

Trevor whipped around to face the voice. Out of the haze a tall figure drifted creepily into the moonlight. Trevor sheathed his sword, a shiver trickling down his back. He hid it with a roll of his shoulders and composed himself, snatching up his spilled bottle in the most dignified manner he could manage.

“It's you. How did you know I was here?” Trevor snapped.

“I didn't. I saw someone sneaking around the grounds and came to see.” Alucard came to land lightly on his feet before the hunter.

“Couldn't at least make yourself known?” retorted Trevor. He felt standoffish and embarrassed. He was certain Alucard had been watching him. He was always testing him like that. He was angry at himself for not expecting it.

“Where is Sypha?”

Trevor flushed. “She sent me to get books.”

He showed the younger man the ragged tomes. 

“And you weren't even going to call on me?” Alucard teased sarcastically.

Trevor shrugged noncommittally. 

“You're drinking again I see.” Alucard pressed.

“What's it matter to you, vampire?” Trevor deflected, flaring up at once. 

Alucard sighed. The dhampir looked thin, as always, but he seemed if possible even paler. His face looked tired and there were dark circles below Alucard's eyes, colorless in the moonlight. Trevor supposed he hadn't fed.

Alucard looked Trevor over disdainfully and told him, 

“If you want something better than that, “ He indicated the empty liquor bottle with a flick of his chin. “Then you can come with me.” And without waiting for his answer he moved off towards the castle. 

 

It felt impossibly strange to be invited into Dracula's castle under casual circumstances but it wasn't as magnificent as it had once been. This was immediately apparent by the boarded up holes in the walls and the rusty smears decorating the carpets. A long walk up the stairs told Trevor that Alucard hadn't been tending to the rest of the castle, but for one wing, which glowed with the soft light of the torches. 

Alucard stopped at a library where the fireplace was lit and indicated that Trevor should take an armchair next to the fire. By all appearances Alucard had been living out of this room. Trevor pushed a discarded shirt off the chair and sat. 

Trevor sat uncomfortably in his cloak looking around. Everything was finery. The portraits on the wall, The perfect untouched mantle, everything still in it's place. It seemed that Dracula hadn't moved any of it, and neither had Alucard. 

The vampire disappeared momentarily and returned with a tall green bottle of dark red spirit and two glasses. He took the couch opposite Trevor. Trevor realized this was not the only bottle around the fireplace. He raised an eyebrow at Alucard, who passed him a cup. 

“It's been...quiet here.” Alucard mumbled. 

Trevor didn't reply. The unsaid horrors of their adventure together hung between them in the pregnant silence. Alucard watched as Trevor drained his cup and reached for the bottle.

“Why isn't Sypha with you?” Alucard posed the question casually, but Trevor knew it was anything but.

“I told you she sent me to get-”

“Is it because you don't want to be with her?” Alucard interrupted. 

Trevor glared at him, hating him for the accusation in his voice.

The disdainful sneer was back on Alucard's face. The blonde man was watching him, looking right through him. He felt like he was on trial for not loving Sypha. She was an amazing woman, really, and Trevor knew he should be flattered but the truth was complicated. More complicated than he wanted to explain to Sypha or Alucard. 

“I'm just not ready.” Trevor finished lamely. 

“Yes, well it seems she rather made that choice for you.” said the dhampir. 

Trevor laughed mirthlessly, and Alucard did not press him further. He poured them both another measure of wine and Trevor was beginning to feel drunk.

“Actually.” he began conspiratorially. “I thought she would go for you.”

Alucard laughed this time with a dismissive shake of his head. 

“No, she likes you for your humanity.”

“But you're her savior...” drawled Trevor, grinning. 

“You really don't care at all do you?” 

“Of course I care.” Trevor snapped, returning to seriousness. “She deserves better than me.”

“And why is that.” 

Trevor glowered over his cup. The dhampir's eyes flickered molten in the light of the fire. 

“Because I'm drunk and cynical and my lifestyle will only lead me to ruin.” Trevor said in a mechanically sarcastic voice. 

“Yes.” agreed Alucard blandly. “Will you leave her?”

“God I don't know.” Trevor groaned rubbing his face with his hands. “I can't leave her alone for what's to come. No. I won't leave her.” Sypha and her people needed him, at least for now.

Alucard nodded and took a dignified sip of his wine, and on second thought it seemed, he drained the glass. 

Trevor wondered if alcohol affected vampires the same way, and idly, how he was going to explain to Sypha that he didn't love her. They hadn't exactly reached that stage yet but he could tell she would expect it in due course. He supposed he could string her along, go along with it. He was quite fond of her, but he had often wondered if he wasn't the settling type. His years on the street had taught him he was much more fluid than he would like to admit. His family would have been ashamed of his drinking and his brawling and if they knew his preferences did not always include women. Appearances mattered.

He shook his head to clear it and stared determinedly into the fire. Out of the corner of his eye he could see the man rotating his glass thoughtfully. Trevor swallowed heavily. 

 

“Please, don't mention this conversation to her.” He implored the vampire. 

This made Alucard laugh that quiet haughty laugh of his. Trevor couldn't tell if the heat in his face was from embarrassment or if he was just drunk. The silence that followed was one of the longest of his life. He didn't look at the other man but he could feel his gaze on the side of his face. It was arresting and he took a deliberate, distracting sip of his wine. The room was very warm. 

“I've got problems of my own, Belmont. I doubt I'll find occasion to gossip about you to anyone.”

Trevor didn't doubt that he had problems. He seized upon this chance to change the subject.

“Yes, and what have you been doing out here all this time?”

Alucard looked up at the fire and frowned. 

“I've been reading. And walking the grounds. It is very beautiful here.”

Trevor nodded. He remembered taking it for granted when he was growing up. 

“If I were to be honest it's been...depressing inside the castle here alone.” Continued Alucard. “I admit I spent awhile exploring your ruins. I never found your old bedroom.”

Trevor shook his head. “No. It was burned with the rest of the north wing. That's a bit of a strange way to cheer yourself up, digging through the ruins of vampire hunters after you just killed Dracula.”

Alucard's eyes narrowed at Trevor's irreverent tone and retorted, “What did you do to get your mind off the death of your entire family then?”

“Mostly drink and sex.” Admitted Trevor. 

Alucard regarded him appraisingly. “I thought you were orphaned at a young age.” 

“I was.” Trevor confirmed. 

Alucard seemed to consider this. Trevor looked at him. He found him aloof most all of the time. It was what Sypha meant about it being lonely even when you were standing next to him. But this wasn't one of those times. 

Alucard nodded slowly. He seemed to be puzzling something over. The alcohol was making Trevor feel overly warm. He shrugged his cloak off and pushed it away from him and Alucards gold eyes followed his every move. There was an almost imperceptible change in his facial expression.

Trevor didn't want to think about his dead family. He didn't want to think about the drunken dalliances of his youth. He didn't want to think about Alucard in relation to any of that. If forces greater than themselves hadn't brought them together would they be friends? They had almost killed each other after all. Some part of him realized this was part of why he liked Alucard. With his knife in the vampires chest and Alucard's fangs posed to bite Trevor had been ready to die for that moment. 

Hot shame licked up the back of his neck as he recalled that night. Long blonde strands framing their faces, merciless fists in his hair pinning him to the floor of the tomb. No, the church wouldn't approve of any of the ways this had made Trevor feel. Yet he still had to ask...

“The night we first met in Gresit, were you really planning to kill me?”

“Oh. Yes.” Answered Alucard, so readily that Trevor could tell he'd considered this before.

A tense pause followed and then Trevor laughed. It was infectious and lubricated with alcohol they both laughed until their eyes swam. The silence afterwards stretched into awkwardness before Alucard seemed to decide upon something. He stood up and came to face the hunter, who was watching him with confusion. Alucard moved in close and rested his hands on the arms of Trevor's chair. 

“Maybe I will try it your way this time, Belmont.” Murmured Alucard. He was very near. Trevor's breath hitched. Alucard abruptly crushed their mouths together with a ferocity that Trevor wasn't prepared for. His hands wrapped around Trevor's wrists as if to capture him there, but he didn't seem at all sure of what he was doing. His kissing was hesitant and somewhat impeded by his fangs. The shock was ebbing away and being replaced by an unbelievable heat radiating from everywhere Alucard was touching him.

Alucard broke away and searched Trevor's face for a reaction. Trevor was too stunned to give him one. Color flooded the dhampir's face and he pulled away. Trevor seemed to act automatically when he grasped Alucards wrist and pulled him back so forcefully that he fell to his knees before the hunter. Trevor crushed their mouths together, one hand on the younger man's jaw, the other running his fingers indulgently through the blonde strands. It was an unbelievable turn of events. He supposed he could imagine how the man got to this point, isolated and grieving. He was part human after all.

Alucard was touching him now, his hands cautious and unsure. It could be because he had so much to drink, Trevor thought, but he was sure it was because he'd never done this before. At least not with another man. He broke their kiss and looked Alucard in the eyes. His expression was hungry but somewhat confused. Trevor asked,

“You've never done this before have you?”

Alucard blushed furiously.

“Not as....such.” He indicated Trevor. 

“I see...well I'll be gentle then.” Trevor drawled.

Alucard rolled his eyes. 

“When we first met, I wanted to tear your throat out with my teeth.”

Trevor grinned and closed the distance between them. Alucard was leaning into him in earnest now. He could feel the quickly beating pulse of the other man through his chest, and he could taste his desperation by the way he breathed into a kiss. The idea that Alucard could have felt the same way about him shook Trevor. He supposed their sadness did draw them together. 

He was more than happy to give Alucard whatever he wanted though, as he moved down his jawline and placed his lips to Trevors throat. Despite himself, he tightened his grip in Alucards hair and let his head thud back against the chair. His back was sweating and he was so hard that his trousers were uncomfortable. 

The tall man moved fluidly as he undid his shirt and discarded it but his fingers slowed as they tugged uncertainly at the fastenings of Trevor's. Amused, Trevor helped him by removing his own shirt and belt. Alucard looked nervous as Trevor started in on his fly, although Trevor could tell he himself was longing to be free of his trousers. He had to admit that Alucard's inexperience intrigued him in a way it probably shouldn't have. He smirked and pulled the front of his trousers down to reveal his erection.

Alucard looked at him in alarm. His face was flushed and sweat was prickling his brow. Trevor was momentarily taken aback by the shirtless young man straddling him. He was a beauty by anyone's standards. But he could never say anything like that to the man, and it was incredible that they were even here at all. An unwelcome though from the back of his head surfaced through the lust and he thought of Sypha. A guilty pit formed in his stomach but Alucard's fingers were wrapping around his length and he pushed his guilt from his mind.

The blonde man determinedly stroked the hunter until he was panting and twitching his hips into every pull. He seemed to gain confidence after awhile, and the strokes became more sure and Trevor groaned, letting his head fall back. Alucard's mouth hung open in concentration. Trevor leaned up and took his lower lip into a kiss that caused the younger man to tighten his grip. It took only a few moments for Trevor to come with his eyes squinted shut and a low moan punctuating the waves of his orgasm. 

Alucard wasn't waiting for Trevor to get his breath. His fingers were unlacing his pants rapidly, shaking slightly, Trevor noticed. When he'd freed himself he gave his erection a few desperate strokes. He replaced the vampire's hands and played with him indulgently until his cock was pulsing under the pressure of Trevor's touch. At this point he stopped him and gently pushed him up. He switched their positions on the chair and Alucard seemed to realize his intention and reddened instantly. 

Trevor ignored the prudish reaction and came to his knees before the impeccably gorgeous young man spread ready before him. He had half a mind to try and fuck the vampire into oblivion but he had a feeling that would be too much for Alucard's delicate sensibilities, so he wrapped his tongue around the head of his cock instead. 

“Ah!” Gasped Alucard. 

Trevor grinned lasciviously and took him into his mouth. He palmed the base of Alucards erection while he concentrated on trying to give him the best blowjob he'd ever had. He really couldn't stand to be outdone by Alucard at the best of times, and especially not at this. He could taste his cock weeping with precum in anticipation of his release. His jaw was aching but Alucard laced his fingers into the hunter's hair and yanked hard enough to make Trevor grunt in protest. The young vampire was thrusting and bucking into him, making it hard to get a rhythm but it didn't seem to matter at this point. Alucard came with a long moan, his chest heaving. They separated and sat gasping for several minutes in silence. 

Alucard finally regained his composure and busied himself himself with his clothing. He turned away from Trevor while running his fingers through his hair and shaking out a snarl. Trevor watched him, vaguely wondering what to say after such an encounter. The weight of his conscience was weighing down upon him without the atmosphere of lust buoying him. He wondered if Alucard was regretting it already. His face was masklike as he straightened his shirt and found his coat. 

“You can stay here tonight if you like, if you don't mind the chair.” The vampire told him.

Trevor shook his head. “I don't mind.”

“Alright then.”

Without a sound Alucard turned and left Trevor half dressed on the floor.


	2. Two - Trevor

Trevor awoke with the urgent need to relieve his bladder. He had a headache. The previous night could have been a dream but for the fact that he was waking up in the high walled chamber of Dracula's castle. It was very early, and out of the tall, thin windows he could see the first purple light of day. If it wasn't for the call of nature he would have pulled his cloak over his eyes and gone back to sleep.

He rose with a groan and pulled on his boots. He took his cloak and weapons with him just in case he couldn't find his way back. The halls were dim and unlit and he rubbed his eyes and yawned as he stumbled haltingly through the corridor in search of a privy. Trevor had to leave the main corridor and cross the stairwell to find a bathroom but when he did it was the most ornate he'd ever seen. Past the granite counter tops and iron fixtures a modern claw foot tub sat beneath a grand window. He crossed the room and briefly considered taking a bath but he was distracted by something outside the window.

At the edge of the treeline movement caught his eye and a low white figure parted the bushes. It looked like a big white fox, he thought foggily, before realization dawned on him. Alucard's wolf form cut through the grass with what appeared to be a rabbit flopping limply in his mouth. Trevor gazed in confusion. What was he doing? The white wolf was heading back towards the base of the castle on the west side.

Trevor relieved himself while considering his options. He could leave right now and make his way back to Sypha. He could forget this encounter ever happened and pray that Alucard did the same. Or he could open himself up a host of awkward and dangerous possibilities by sating his curiosity. He could wind his way through the old castle looking for trouble or he could turn around right now and take the easy way out.

As Trevor paced down a set of stairs he figured that wherever Alucard had entered would be on the ground floor. The path of the battle was evident by the trail of destruction, which contrasted weirdly with the homelike impression of the wing he had slept in. There were portraits on the walls, of Lisa and the man Dracula himself, a bright eyed toddler between them. Trevor stared. The child Alucard. He was flooded with a strange emotion that he couldn't parse. He felt like an interloper in this place. The happy faces staring back out of the portrait, not knowing the horrible fate that would befall them all. The horrible weight of the tragedy that had befallen this family seemed to hang in the air of these corridors.

The lower he descended the stairs the colder it felt. The walls on the ground floor were mildewing from water damage. It was immediately apparent in the light what he had missed by torchlight the night before; Alucard had done nothing to repair or improve the castle in the weeks following their departure. He supposed he couldn't bring himself to, Trevor thought. To the left of the staircase he found a corridor that lead to an abandoned barracks. Large racks of pikes, swords and bows lined the walls now in disarray. Trevor left the barracks and crossed to the right of the staircase.

A branching corridor spanned out on the right side of the staircase and Trevor walked along, peering down halls and into doors. On one side there was a wine cellar. On another there was an unfinished stable that opened up to the outside where livestock could be held. For horses, Trevor told himself, although he wondered. In another he found a meagerly stocked pantry. He heard the noise before he found the man in the kitchen. When he rounded the corner Alucard's back was to him and he was busy with the rabbit carcass.

He didn't try and conceal his arrival as he was certain Alucard already heard him. He came just inside and leaned against the wall, watching. Alucard's head turned toward him briefly but he said nothing as he finished his work. He had a small parring knife in hand and he pressed it into the throat of the poor creature, who's head swiveled unnaturally on the broken neck. He made a small nipping swipe at the artery and strung it up over large stoneware mug. Trevor watched with a grimace as Alucard drained the rabbit's blood into the cup. He hid his disgust poorly when Alucard turned around and leaned his back against the table, picking a hair out of his mug.

“So this is how you feed.”

“Usually.” replied Alucard. He tipped the cup to his lips and drank it back like medicine. He wrinkled his nose and swallowed many times afterwards. Trevor gaped.

“That's repulsive.” he uttered finally.

Alucard nodded in agreement. “It's not ideal, no.”

Trevor knew that when Alucard said this he was talking of preference. The vampiric urge to consume human blood lead to the fundamental conflict between human and vampire of course and Trevor didn't doubt the halfling had the same urge.

"What do you mean 'usually'?" Trevor asked suspiciously.

The dhampir shrugged and drained the mug. The thick liquid coated the rim where his lips had touched it. Trevor was fascinated despite himself. He had seen a lot of unsavory things in his life but nothing quite prepared him to see the imperious, stuck up man before him drink fresh animal blood. He was so casual about it that it made Trevor question what it had really been like growing up with a vampire for a father. An image of the Tepes family sitting down for a dinner of rabbit blood soup swam into mind. 

“Is this what you've always done?” he asked Alucard. 

Alucard fixed a warning glare at Trevor and said, 

“That's none of your business.”

Trevor returned his scowl for a few moments then changed the subject. 

“I just came to tell you I was leaving.”

This seemed to annoy Alucard and he leveled, 

“Listen, last night. It was a mistake. That can never happen again.”

Trevor shrugged this off nonchalantly, giving a dismissive wave. He was dismayed to find a part of him was disappointed. Everyone regrets it in the end. It had been so easy to go along with it. The implications of what they had done to their alliance loomed larger in the light of day. Sypha was another matter entirely. 

“Don't mention it.” He replied in a clipped tone. “I'll be going.”

Trevor turned and left the kitchen. He was halfway through the door before Alucard stopped him, the tone of his voice hesitant. 

“Wait. I think I need your help.”

Trevor turned around and stared at him curiously. 

“With what?”

“I was going to bring it up last night...”

They both looked away uncomfortably as Alucard continued.

“I've decided that your hold should be sealed. We haven't seen the last of this war, and that information is a weapon in our hands.”

Trevor had to agree. But the door had been smashed. They would never be able to reassemble the stone.

“I've found a spell that can imitate the work your people did, but it's old vampiric magic that I cannot do without the aid of a human, more specifically, a Belmont.”

“A Belmont?”

“Yes, it's quite perfect for our purposes if you understand the principle behind it. The spell will grant access only to owner of the door. I can do the runes and the spell but it's your blood I'll need to-”

“My blood!?” Interjected Trevor, a bemused smirk on his face now.

“Your blood, Belmont.” finished Alucard. 

“A vampiric door sealed with blood magic to protect the Belmont hold, is that what you're proposing?”

“In short, yes.”

Trevor spotted a problem.

“But the entrance was caved in.”

“Yes, the foundation will need repairing. I'll need your help with that too.”

Trevor sighed. He contemplated the wisdom of this. He supposed he must trust Alucard after all this and he couldn't see the harm in trying. He was sure no other Belmont before him would approve, but they were dead and he was doing his best with what he had. 

“Alright, I suppose. How long will this take?” He knew Sypha would forgive his late return up to a certain point as long as he was helping their cause.

Alucard thought. 

“Several days, perhaps.” 

Trevor nodded, resigned. This was important after all, and Alucard apparently thought so if he was willing to overcome the discomfort of having to interact with Trevor further.

 

As it turned out Alucard preferred to work mostly in silence, even refraining from the usual barbs and taunts. He'd shown not even a touch of scorn at the disparity in their strength as they worked together to assemble the scavenged lumber into beams. The repair of the foundation kept them so busy that day that Trevor collapsed into his chair upon his return that night so exhausted that even his aching back and blistered fingers didn't prevent him from falling asleep the moment he closed his eyes. 

On the morning of the second day Trevor awoke with a strange feeling. Birds were chirping, but otherwise the old library was silent. The dust particles in the air drifted lazily in the beam of sun passing through the window. There was nothing but stillness, yet he could have sworn someone was there just now. Maybe a remnant of a dream. He shook himself awake. 

Alucard was waiting for him at the front entryway. He looked as if he had been awake for hours. His hair was windswept and his boots were dirty. He was rolling up his sleeves as Trevor approached him, still rubbing his eyes. 

“Where have you been?” Trevor yawned

“I took your horse into the village and bought some provisions.” Alucard replied. He shouldered a sack containing groceries.

“I never said you could take my horse!” Trevor complained inconsequentially as Alucard pushed past him and out the door. Trevor followed, feeling indignant. 

“Just because I agreed to help you doesn't mean you can steal from me!” He insisted. 

“That's a bit dramatic.” said Alucard calmly, “I only borrowed it while you were asleep.”

“Could have asked.” mumbled Trevor, and lapsed into grumpy silence as he fell into step beside the blonde man. 

 

The trail leading to the entrance of the estate was still dotted with relics of the last battle. Debris littered the path but it was being quickly reclaimed by the undergrowth. He stepped around a sun-bleached skeleton and looked at his companion. Alucard was looking off into the trees, his brow knitted slightly. Trevor had the feeling he was preoccupied and he bet he could guess why. He wondered if Alucard regretted their lapse in judgment as much as he did. 

In a few days he would ride back to Sypha to lie to her face, and he was dreading it almost as much as spending the interim time with the brooding dhampir bossing him around. It was tortuous for another reason too, if Trevor was honest with himself. How could he have been so stupid as to think he could forget. Their transgression hung heavy between them as they walked the path to the Belmont hold.

The day was sunny and beautiful and gave them ample light to work at the entrance to the hold. They had laid heavy support beams down which they used to cross the gap and lay down a foundation. By working in stages they would lay the beams and then brick over the top using the stones forming the collapsing walls of the Belmont house. It had seemed daunting at first but Trevor had underestimated the usefulness of vampiric strength in spanning the gap. 

It took all morning to finish laying the panels and the sun was high in the cloudless sky when Alucard put down his hammer and moved off into the shade, wiping his forehead with his sleeve. Trevor was surprised that he was the one to break pace. Alucard sat with his back against the wall in the shade. Trevor came to join him, cooling his back on the stone.

“It really is a shame what happened to this place.” said Alucard. 

“Yes, it was built by a Leon Belmont. He was the first of our name as far as I know. He was a knighted at a young age and built all this from there.”

“What happened to him?” 

“Actually it's rather sad. He was betrothed to a woman, Sara I think. She was stolen away by a vampire and he managed to rescue her but it was too late and she was infected. She begged him to kill her before she turned.”

“How....unnecessary.” said Alucard, with a slight frown. “She would rather give up on a life with her beloved than carry on as a vampire? And he agreed to sacrifice her? That is sad.”

Trevor shrugged. “It wouldn't really be the same. Could they ever really lead equal lives? I'm not saying it's what I would have done.”

“My parents did.” replied Alucard icily. 

“Yeah and it ended in a war.” Scoffed Trevor. 

Alucard was glaring at him. 

“This war was started by humans, you know that.” he growled.

“It was started by the church.” countered Trevor. “Anyway, didn't you bring some food? I'm starving.”

Alucard frowned at him but tossed the sack he brought with him at Trevor harder than was strictly necessary. Trevor caught it and rifled through it finding a loaf of bread and some cheese. He tore into it hungrily while Alucard watched him with mild disgust. Further investigation into the sack revealed a bottle of wine and apples. Trevor abandoned the bread, cheese and apples and used a pocket knife to cork the wine. 

“I was saving that.” Alucard snapped irritably, snatching the bottle from his hands. 

“Hey!”

“You can't even wait until evening to get drunk? We've got a job to do.” sneered Alucard

“First of all, you aren't my master so you can fuck off telling me what to do. Secondly, what does it matter if we finish it today or tomorrow or whenever, it's not going anywhere!”

“Don't you care about this at all?” Alucard sneered. “This is your legacy! Why am I the one bothering when you don't even care?”

Trevor flared up at once. “My legacy? I'm only here because of you and Sypha. You asked me to be here now. You asked me to help you kill Dracula. Don't act like you're doing me any favors!” He exclaimed. 

Alucard's eyes were narrowed in anger now. He seemed to be deciding on whether or not to hit Trevor. Finally he shoved the bottle into Trevor's chest, spilling wine over his tunic. 

“Fine. You sit here and get drunk, and when the night creatures come to destroy this place you can be the one to stop them.”

He turned on his heel and swept past Trevor back towards the castle. Trevor was left glowering after him holding the bottle. After watching his back retreat Trevor sighed in exasperation and sat with his legs hanging over the ledge of the hole. No point in wasting wine, he thought. As he sat there he stared into the abyss of wreckage and pondered why he couldn't seem to get along with the man. He was sarcastic and abrasive. He was also easily offended and judgmental thought Trevor resentfully.

Before a quarter of the bottle was gone Trevor was feeling vaguely guilty. He might have a bit rude. Something about Alucard riled him up. His perfection annoyed Trevor. He often found himself searching for reasons to dislike the younger man. He grew up privileged and loved, he was powerful, and undeniably beautiful. His adult life had been rife with chaos and tragedy however. He didn't give him enough credit for that he supposed. For everything Trevor had lost, Alucard had lost as much. Sad in different ways. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He owed Alucard an apology. 

He packed up and left the site, heading back up the way he'd come. He was relieved to find Alucard had not locked him out. He wasn't at all sure he would be able to find Alucard if he didn't want to be found. He was still carrying the bag of supplies and supposed he would put them in the pantry on his way. This turned out to be fortunate. After he placed the food items in the pantry he crossed to the kitchen to find Alucard sitting at the table, a book spread open in front of him. 

He looked up at Trevor when he crossed the threshold. Trevor was suddenly aware of his stained shirt and ragged cloak as Alucard looked him over. He cleared his throat uncomfortably and announced, 

“I'm sorry.”

Alucard blinked at him. It seemed to take him a moment to register what Trevor had said. Finally he said. 

“My god, you are drunk.”

Trevor sighed and rolled his eyes. He took a seat on the stool next to Alucard and said, 

“No. Not really. I just wanted to...thank you for looking after the estate. And also that...well, I know what it's like to be the only thing left of your family.”  
Alucard couldn't conceal his surprise. He seemed to consider Trevor with a slight frown. Suddenly he dropped his gaze, looking very tired he said,

“Isn't it funny. We can both come to our houses but they will never be home again.” 

Trevor let out a small mirthless laugh. It was true. It could never be the same.

“You must hate being here.” He said softly. 

Alucard nodded, his brow furrowing.

“I can't get away from it. You have to understand, he wasn't like this before. Before she died. This place is so full of memories from then... now the idea of going into my childhood room makes me want to vomit.” Alucard told him darkly. 

“What will you do?” Trevor asked.

Alucard shrugged and said, 

“Did you drink the whole bottle yourself or did you leave any Belmont?”

Trevor smirked and retrieved the rest of the wine from the pantry, finding them each a stoneware cup and pouring them out a measure. If there was one thing Trevor knew how to do it was drink problems away. 

The subject changed to trading stories of growing up in their respective homes. Trevor learned that Alucard had been trained in the sciences like his parents. He told Alucard about the tedious lessons with his tutors and the training he received in the Belmont estate. They spent several moments mutually abusing the church and it's following, which was satisfying to Trevor, being the religious minority as a heathen in Wallachia.

He attempted to keep the conversation light, but the topic fell upon Trevor's adolescent years. He had grown up fast too, just not in the same way. With the loss of his family Trevor had lost all direction and washed up on Alucard's front door in truth but he didn't want to say this so he told Alucard a different truth that included a job at a stable before graduating to mercenary work. He got the distinct impression that Alucard didn't believe him but he never pressed. 

He watched the blonde man take a sip of his drink, long lashes falling over his eyes like gold facets. A length of his hair fell into his face and Trevor had the sudden urge to brush it away. He let the moment pass however, and instead asked a question that he suspected might be considered rude.

“So how is it exactly that you, well...feed? What happens if you don't drink blood?” 

“I will grow weaker then I will die.” he said, simply. 

Trevor nodded, open mouthed. “And you only drink animal blood?”

The corners of Alucard's mouth turned up mysteriously.

“Not always. Lately, yes.” 

Trevor wanted to ask him when the last time he'd had human blood but felt that would be pushing it. He took a drink instead. Alucard smirked at him. 

“Do you want to know what it's like, Belmont?”

Trevor raised his eyebrows curiously as Alucard went on, 

“When I'm close to an animal I can hear their hearts pumping. I can smell their blood. I can smell yours now.”

An involuntary shudder ran up Trevor's spine. Alucard was looking into his cup as he spoke. 

“When I was a child I didn't really understand it. My parents gave me what I needed in animal blood. When I got older the instinct for human blood came on. It was hard to resist. Sometimes it still is.”

“So you've had...”

“Yes. I've partaken from enemies I've killed, on occasion, and sometimes it's given willingly.”

“Why would they do that?” Trevor wondered out loud. 

“Benevolence or lust.” Alucard answered. 

They held each other's gaze, Alucard watching Trevor for a reaction. Trevor didn't want to give him one but he was curious. 

“But doesn't that weaken them?”

“Somewhat I suppose but how much blood do you think I can drink anyway?”

Trevor laughed, “Don't get any ideas.”

The air seemed heavier somehow. The sun was starting to go down and the kitchen was growing dimmer. Alucard seemed to be choosing his words carefully. 

“Are you sure, Belmont? Aren't you a little curious?” His lips were parted very slightly. 

Something in his voice was arresting and Trevor didn't respond. He didn't move for a moment. A warm sensation was melting down his back and he couldn't look away from the other man's mouth. The tension between them was reaching a fever pitch and suddenly it was clear by Trevor's hesitation that Alucard wasn't wrong. 

The younger man moved in closer. The light was very low now. 

“Will you let me?” he asked Trevor. 

Trevor felt himself nodding once. He had no idea how he was agreeing to this. Alucard seemed to read his mind. 

“So which is it for you Belmont? Benevolence?” Whispered Alucard.

“Just get on with it” hissed Trevor, and the vampire closed the distance between them. Alucard laced his fingers through Trevor's hair, tipping his head back and baring his throat. Trevor let his head fall back with a quick intake of breath and Alucard hesitated no longer. He bit his needle like fangs into Trevor's neck and the hunter sucked in through his teeth. It was like no sensation Trevor had ever experienced before. 

Blood welled up in the wound and the combination of pain and the feeling of Alucard's mouth pressed against him made his heart race. He could sense the vampire was restraining himself, but barely. It lasted only a few moments before he tore himself away, blood on his lips. Alucard was breathing very quickly. He seemed to be unable to meet Trevor's eyes, and when he wiped his mouth on his sleeve he left a red smear. He stood up and walked unsteadily to the door, where he paused, 

“Thanks, Belmont.”


	3. Three - Trevor

Trevor pressed two fingers to his throat instinctively, for his head was swimming and his brain couldn't seem to keep up. He was painfully aroused and his heart was thudding against the inside of his rib cage. He was frustrated and angry that Alucard had left him without so much as a word, but as he stood to go after him the motion made him see stars and he sat back down again. He probably wouldn't be able to find Alucard if he didn't want to be found. 

Trevor slept badly. The next morning found the entrance way empty. Trevor looked for Alucard in the kitchen but he wasn't there. After wandering the halls in vain for awhile, his temper rising, he pushed through the front doors and traversed the path towards the hold. By the time he was in sight of Alucard he was simmering with anger. 

Alucard acknowledged him with a nod and pointed towards the end of a beam. He had finished laying the foundation and was on his knees, placing bricks over the top. 

“Help me with this will you.”

Trevor scowled. “No.”

Alucard looked at him as if his anger came as a complete surprise. 

“What's your problem, Belmont?”

Trevor dismissed this with a shake of his head. 

“Don't play dumb. We need to talk.”

Alucard looked at him in silence for a moment and Trevor thought he saw a flicker of anxiety pass over the younger man's face. Slowly Alucard put down the brick in his hand. They came to sit against the wall again, and Trevor cast his embarrassment aside and told Alucard, 

“You can't keep doing this to me. I don't care if you regret what happened between us but you can't keep...teasing me this way.” Trevor finished, an edge to his voice.

Alucard looked somewhat sheepish. His fine features were arranged in a carefully obscure expression. He hesitated for a long time before replying quietly, 

“I don't know what comes over me with you. I felt it when we first met. I wanted to...” He trailed off. 

Trevor could guess what he meant. 

“Are you telling me you've been trying to seduce me for my blood?” 

“No!” snapped Alucard. “That is, it's hard to resist when you're that close but no. Don't make me spell it out for you Belmont. It's just lust.”

Trevor didn't know what to say. They had come so far together and done so much yet they were telling themselves it was simple lust between them. Trevor ignored a hollow pit in his chest. 

“I suppose so.”  
Alucard was looking anywhere but at Trevor when he continued. 

“I didn't get much of a chance to socialize coming up. There was always so much to do, so many expectations. I tried to honor my mother's wishes but she didn't really understand what it's like. What it is to be like me, a halfling. I don't belong in either of their worlds. I'm not human but I don't belong with the Vampire's either. I guess I'm trying to say that you and Sypha are the first real friends I've had. I'm afraid I've destroyed that now.”

Trevor nodded thoughtfully. Before he had met Sypha and found Alucard he'd let himself down further than he cared to admit. He'd had so little purpose, beyond passively existing for so long that by the time the war took over Wallachia Trevor hadn't really aspired to much besides living through it. Alucard's cause had given him something to fight for. He owed him that much. 

“You haven't.” He told Alucard. “I think I met you at exactly the right time.”

A ghost of a smile passed over Alucard's lips but it fell away almost at once. 

“Are you going to tell Sypha?” He asked. 

Molten guilt washed over his insides and he pressed his eyes closed. “No. I don't think I should do you?”

“No.” Alucard agreed quickly. 

There was an uncomfortable pause then Trevor broke it by leaning in and kissing Alucard hard on the mouth. He wrapped a hand around the back of Alucard's neck and pulled him closer, parting their lips and kissing him deeper. It was a rushed, desperate kiss and it left them both short of breath. 

“I just wanted to do that before you told me it could never happen again.” said Trevor. 

Alucard said nothing to this so Trevor got to his feet and held a hand out to him.

“Let's get to work.”

 

The rest of the day went by painstakingly as they finished laying the bricks. Finally they would be able to lay the final stone over the entrance. Alucard could carve the runes and Trevor would provide his contribution. It was impossible for Trevor to concentrate fully in the dhampir's presence. He did his best to ignore the conversation they had passing through his mind every ten minutes. By the time they were finished his fingers were blistered and he was starving. 

In the kitchen Alucade bade Trevor to wait. After twenty minutes passed Trevor ate the remaining apples from the pantry. After forty he ate the bread and cheese. Alucard was gone so long that Trevor was falling asleep in his seat by the time he returned. He had another rabbit in hand. 

Trevor roused himself and watched Alucard with interest as he drained and skinned the rabbit. 

“Do you...prefer rabbits?” asked Trevor conversationally. 

“They're plentiful here.” He answered simply. “Besides, this one is big enough to eat.” 

He used a kitchen knife to behead and quarter the rabbit then he added the pieces to a pan. He lit the wood stove and while he waited for it to heat he crushed some herbs into the pan. Trevor watched, amused. 

“Where did you learn to cook?” he asked.

“My mother taught me.”

“So you do eat?”

“Of course.” Alucard laughed, “I don't need to, but I enjoy it.”

Trevor was amazed. It occurred to him anew what an anomaly the dhampir was. Alucard drank the blood while he waited for the rabbit to cook. It was a bizarre juxtaposition to the domestic scene he had been painting. When the rabbit was done Alucard handed him a plate.

It was pretty tasty, Trevor had to admit. He noticed Alucard picked at his but didn't eat much. He seemed to be mulling something over. Finally Alucard asked him, 

“What did you do after you left this place as a child?” 

Trevor chewed his food slower, wondering how much to divulge. 

“Well,” he said, swallowing, “I was homeless for awhile, but then a man took pity on me and let me work and sleep in the stables. I did that until I was old enough to work as a city guard. I was good with a sword and whip so I started doing mercenary work.”

“That must have been a rough way to grow up.” said Alucard. 

Trevor shrugged. “The Belmont name was mud back then. The church would have loved to have found me. The only reason I went unnoticed was with help from a man that used to board his horse at the stables. He was an officer and recognized me for who I was. He got me the job as a guard even though I was young. He concealed my real identity. Later, he introduced me to my first clients as a mercenary.”

“That was nice of him to do all that.” Alucard said cautiously. 

“Nice isn't the word I would use to describe him.” Trevor said, changing the subject. “What about you? Where about when you were young?”

“When I was young I lived here. They built the cottage for my mother later to practice her medicine. As a teenager I traveled often with my father. The castle was much different then, obviously.” 

They had finished eating and Alucard was putting their dishes away. He turned to Trevor and said, 

“I want to show you something.” 

Alucard took him several floors up to a wing of the castle that had escaped most of the damage. It was elegant but otherwise unremarkable. Alucard stopped in front of a nondescript door. He pushed it open and gestured Trevor inside. 

“Is this what you wanted to show me?” Asked Trevor, entering past him.

“Yes.” 

Trevor looked around. There was a messy four poster bed and a desk that looked untouched, but otherwise it seemed like the most basic of guest suites. He looked at Alucard.

“Where are we?”

“This is where I sleep.” Alucard told him, shutting the door with a click. Trevor blinked at him. 

“What...”

But Alucard cut him off. He was pressing his mouth to Trevors, biting slightly at his lower lip. Trevor felt the familiar drop of his stomach when Alucard touched him but a cautionary impulse overrode his lust. He took Alucard by the shoulders and pushed him away. 

“Stop. Don't play with me.” His face was deadly serious. Anger was welling up from out of nowhere. He felt as if these last few days Alucard had pulled him in and pushed him away so many times that he couldn't stand falling for it again. 

Alucard looked confused and slightly offended. 

“I thought you wanted this Belmont.”

“I did. I do. But you don't seem to know what you want.”

Alucard considered this. After a moment he said, 

“Practically speaking this is a terrible idea.”

“And impractically speaking?” asked Trevor. 

“I want this.” Alucard said assuredly. His tone was dark and his eyes were catching the torchlight.

When the younger man tried to kiss him again Trevor allowed it. After a moment he found himself returning the kiss even more deeply. It felt cathartic. In all of this mess at least he could have this one shining moment after their trials. There was no room to think about the repercussions now because all there was was blonde hair and the faint metallic taste of blood on Alucard's saliva. 

Trevor's hands roamed Alucard's body. His hips were sharp and he was thin and taught and when he moved Trevor could feel the muscles moving under his skin. The white shirt he wore was becoming a hindrance. Trevor pulled it up by the back and dragged it over Alucard's head, parting them temporarily. Trevor's fingers found the long scar on Alucard's chest. He looked into the dhampir's face, searching for a reaction. 

Alucard responded wordlessly by turning to the bed and Trevor followed him down onto the plush mattress where he pinned him and crushed their mouths together. Pausing only to shed his own shirt, Trevor gave in entirely to the beast inside of him that called for him to consume the gorgeous creature spread out beneath him. His palms felt hot as he ran them down the young man's ribs and dipped beneath his waistband. Alucard twitched into him in response. A small moan escaped his mouth and Alucard's golden eyes snapped to his. 

Trevor smirked and captured his mouth again, grinding back into him. They were both fully hard and Trevor rolled his hips deliberately so that their lengths slid along side through the cloth. He wanted Alucard to make that sound again. It didn't take long before he had him gasping and thrusting back. Trevor's hands were practically shaking when he found the fastenings of Alucard's trousers and hastily pulled them apart.

Alucard watched him open mouthed as he wrapped his fingers around his bare cock. 

“Nnng...” Alucard moaned. This made Trevor grin wide and he continued to stroke him until Alucard was groaning through his teeth. The sight of the long haired man laid out in front of him with his hard cock in Trevor's hand was satisfying to the core and it had Trevor's own cock leaking into the fabric of his trousers. He paused again to kick off his boots and Alucard did the same. He had to resist the urge to tear the rest of the younger man's clothing off. 

Alucard was sitting up. His hair fell over his shoulders sumptuously and Trevor brushed it out of his face when he came in and straddled the hunters legs. He freed Trevor's cock, eliciting a hiss of pleasure from the older man. At that point he hesitated. Trevor looked at him and he couldn't quite keep the silent plea out of his expression. Alucard shrugged and with a determined expression he dipped his head and gave the head of Trevor's cock an experimental lick. Trevor tensed and moaned,

“Watch the teeth.”

Alucard rolled his eyes and took Trevor's head in his mouth, cutting off his complaints instantly. He took his time experimenting until he found the motion that made Trevor thrust his hips back. With one hand wrapped around the base he laved his tongue alongside the bottom of Trevor's cock. Trevor could feel a sweat break out down his chest and stomach. He was stone hard. He was afraid he was going to come soon so he laced his fingers in Alucard's hair and gently pulled him off. He was breathing hard and his heard pounded. He knew what he wanted. 

“Let me have you.” He growled. 

Alucard bit his lip, looking doubtful. 

“Please. I'll stop if you hate it.” 

Alucard fixed him with a suspicious stare for a moment and then relented. 

“Alright, Belmont.”

Trevor couldn't help but laugh at the absurdity of being addressed by his surname in this instance. He pulled the vampire towards him and kissed him forcefully. He rolled them over until they were side by side and his hands were all over the younger man. Alucard's lips were trailing along his neck. He could feel the other's breath hitch when he found the wound he'd inflicted. His tongue lashed out as if he couldn't resist and Trevor wondered how well he could resist indeed. 

Alucard pulled himself away and panted, 

“Go on then, if you're going to do it!” 

Trevor didn't hesitate but pushed Alucard onto his stomach and mounted him. He grasped his weeping cock and stroked it. Alucard was tense so he tried to be gentle as he spread him open and pressed the tip of his cock against his ass. Even moist with precum the slightest pressure was met by resistance. He took up the young dhampir's cock and began pumping steadily. This made Alucard moan repeatedly and Trevor could feel how he pulsed in his fingers. 

“You're going to have to try and relax.” He whispered to Alucard. 

He nodded and closed his eyes in concentration and Trevor tried again. This time he was able to breach the muscle and enter him. The pressure was unbelievable and Trevor gasped and hissed through his teeth, holding himself back from fucking the vampire unrelentingly into the mattress on the first go. Instead he went slow. Alucard was moaning in earnest now. On every out stroke his head lolled and he groaned in a way that made Trevor's cock pulse inside of him. Nothing in else in the world mattered more right now than the heat of the exquisite creature below him. 

Soon Trevor knew he wouldn't be able to hold on much longer. By the looks of Alucard, who was grasping the bed cover in his fist and rutting into Trevor's hand, he wasn't the only one. Alucard gave no warning before he was shuddering against the hunter and coming all over his stomach, Trevor's hand and the bed. It was enough to put Trevor over the edge and he came thrusting erratically as his orgasm made him so lightheaded he saw stars. 

They collapsed outstretched next to each other. For awhile the only sound was that of them catching their breath. Trevor was so exhausted that he felt his head swimming and he began to drift off to sleep despite himself. With a sharp shake of the head he roused himself and sat up. He reached for his shirt. Alucard watched him silently for a moment before saying, 

“Don't do that.” 

Nonplussed, Trevor dropped the shirt and slowly got back into the bed. Even as his head swam with the events of the day his body cried out for sleep and he was asleep almost as soon as his head hit the pillow.


	4. Four - Alucard

Alucard did not sleep. He lay in the dark and listened to the steady rise and fall of Trevor's breathing as he slept in Alucard's bed. As the first blue light of morning colored the sky outside Alucard could see the outline of Trevor's face as he lay unconscious of Alucard's gaze. As long as he slept the dhampir felt free to study Trevor's features. His aristocratic good looks had filtered through the generations down to him and even though he needed a shave and a wash he was still an undeniably pleasing man.

The curve of his neck was illuminated by the light over his shoulder and Alucard noticed the purpling bruise over the perfect needle punctures on his throat just above his clavicle. He felt a rush of uncomfortable gratitude. He was ashamed of his lapse in judgment. Not only in his primal loss of willpower but in his manipulation. As always, with attraction the bloodlust was strongest. And he was attracted. He hated himself for it, and more so now that he'd succumbed to it. When he'd first met the insolent man he'd had an instant dislike of him. His blind confidence and irreverent attitude had rankled Alucard. He'd mocked him for his vampire heredity from the beginning and Alucard hadn't trusted him at all. He wondered if he did now. 

Alucard couldn't believe he'd given into his basest instincts so easily. It wasn't that he hadn't had a few flings in his earlier youth but never with a man and never had he felt such a powerful draw. Even the way he moved in battle drew Alucard's eye. He had a crude grace. Alucard had noticed right away how Trevor's proximity affected him. The smell of his blood intoxicated him. He'd never felt this way about another before. He couldn't explain it.

He felt a thrill of panic as Trevor stirred slightly. He held back the childish impulse to get up and flee the room. Instead, he slid from the bed and crossed to the adjoining bathroom where he turned the taps until they gurgled and spouted water into the bath. While it filled he looked out on the day. A crust of dark clouds were forming above the treeline. It would rain soon. That was fine, most of their work would be done inside today. 

When the bath was full Alucard tossed away his clothes and got in. He leaned back and closed his eyes and let the hot water melt away the dirt from his body. He found a bit of soap and rubbed it into his scalp, working the loam through the lengths of his hair impatiently. He submerged his head in the water and shook it to rinse out the soap. When he was finished he got out of the bath and dried himself. He drained the tub, then on second thought he turned the tap back on and began to fill it again. 

Trevor was already awake when Alucard stepped back into the bedroom, doing up his trousers. Alucard pitched his dirty towel in a pile of linens that was mounting up on a chair in the corner. Trevor watched him, raised up on one elbow.

“Never learned how to clean up after yourself huh?” Trevor yawned. 

Alucard bristled. The truth was that he wasn't much use at cleaning. Up until recent events he'd always been cared for by his mother or the staff in the castle, now deserted. While he had studiously learned a wide variety of lessons at his parents behest, housekeeping had not been one of them. 

“There's a bath for you.” Alucard interjected. “You need it.”

Trevor looked curiously toward the sound of running water as Alucard donned a shirt. Trevor rolled his shoulders as he rose and crossed to the bathroom where he disappeared from Alucard's view. The sound of water splashing over the side of the tub could be heard. Alucard kept his distance, feeling suddenly shy. The spell of the previous night had broken with the day and when Alucard spoke to him it was with his back turned.

“Today I'll carve the runes in the door. I'll need your help carrying it to the old workshop. Then I'll need your horse to haul it to the site.”

“And then?” Asked Trevor.

“And then I'll need some of your blood to activate the ward.” Alucard confirmed.

The sound of Trevor sloshing in the bath told him he had dunked his head underwater. When he reemerged spitting water Alucard continued. 

“Meet me in the entrance way when you're done.”

A grunt of affirmation told him Trevor had heard him. He pulled on his boots and made his way through the corridor and down the grand stairway. He ignored the mess, as he always did, as well as the relics of his past which he ignored even more determinedly. There would come a time to deal with the castle but part of the reason he'd poured so much time and energy into securing the Belmont hold was to avoid it for the moment. This place was no home. It hadn't been for a long time. 

Alucard arrived at the bottom of the stairs and considered the cracked landscape of granite that made up the formerly pristine foyer floor. He found a relatively square shaped shard of about the right side. He used his hands to pull away the shards of stone around it until an edge came free and he gripped the edge, pulling up hard. The stone shifted with a loud scrape that muffled Trevor's footsteps somewhat as he descended the stairs. 

He came to stand on the other side of the stone fragment and ascertained Alucard's purpose wordlessly. Alucard's keen senses were inundated immediately with the smell of fresh soap and the stale sweat the clung to Trevor's unwashed clothing and something else that made his nostrils flair. The smell of human blood was usually something a vampire grew accustomed to with proximity and time but Trevor tempted Alucard's base nature to it's limit. He tried to ignore it, gesturing for the man to take the other side of the stone. 

Most of the weight was born by Alucard, but Trevor supported the opposing end as he guided him to the old workshop that used to belong to Lisa. Trevor's eyes wandered around the room as they entered, taking in the multitudes of tools and vessels the room stored. They placed the stone carefully down onto one of the large workbenches that occupied the center of the room. Alucard crossed to the wall and found the two books that contained the runes and the instructions necessary to produce the ward. 

“What's that?” asked Trevor. 

Alucard opened the books to their marked pages and pointed at the markings on the weathered pages. 

“This is the spell I'll use to seal the door. The magic will make it impregnable to most forces. These are the runes that will grant you entrance yourself.”

“So only I can enter it?” Trevor asked.

“Only someone of your blood relation.” he replied.  
“Why not add your own blood as well?” 

“Because my patriarchal line goes a long way back. I'm related, however distantly, to many vampires. Hypothetically they could enter if they divulged the spell so it's safer this way.” Alucard replied, retrieving a chisel and a hammer from the wall. 

As he set to work Trevor walked around the room, picking up bottles and reading labels. He seemed fascinated by the chamber equipped for chemistry or craft, so Alucard told him, 

“This is the place where my mother learned medicine. My father taught her everything he knew but he always said she went further with it than he could.”

“Seems like it would be hard to convince a vampire to preserve the lives of humans.” murmured Trevor, examining a syringe. 

Alucard shrugged and paused while he chipped away at the stone, finishing a mark. 

“She changed him in many ways.” He explained. “He never loved humans in the way she did. I think truthfully he saw her as an exception to the common masses. But he loved her and she convinced him to help.”

Trevor was silent in response. Alucard continued his work and eventually Trevor bored of poking through his mother's things and came to sit on the bench across from him. He flipped idly through the book for awhile before sighing and looking up at Alucard. Alucard wished he wouldn't stare at him. His concentration wavered as his eyes flicked up to the hunters face. He didn't know what to say after the night they shared had transpired. He had thought that giving into his impulses would sate him but it had served only to ignite a new realm of possibilities in the gutters of Alucard's mind. 

His posh manners prevented him from voicing any of this however, so he settled on a neutral topic. 

“Tell me of your journey with Sypha. How did you come to find her people?”

Trevor raised his head off his hand and retold the story of how they had traveled the countryside looking for her clan. He seemed more excited recalling the encounters he'd had with the night hordes than the long nights alone with Sypha that must have occurred. He didn't mention much about her at all. Alucard found himself dwelling on the guilty pit in his stomach. 

It was dusk by the time he had finished carving the runes. Trevor had wandered off and returned with what he could find from the pantry and sat chewing dispassionately on a bit of stored dried goat. Alucard watched him hungrily. He would need to hunt tonight. 

It was raining steadily and hitching the horse to the cart they would use to transport the stone turned out to be a far more difficult task than carrying the finished stone to the cart. Trevor's borrowed mare reared and kicked until Trevor made Alucard retrieve her an apple from pantry while he calmed her in a soft voice, petting her mane. Only when Trevor plied her with the apple would she allow herself to be hitched up and lead from the stable. The horse complied with the journey grumpily and they arrived at bricked over entrance after awhile. 

As they placed the stone and Alucard pushed it into place Trevor wiped water off his face and stood looking sullen in the rain. Alucard looked at him from under the curtain of damp hair framing his face and asked,

“Ready, Belmont?”

Trevor nodded, resolved, and unsheathed a short knife from his belt. 

“How much do you need?” He asked. 

Alucard held out his hand and after a moments hesitation Trevor handed him the knife, deciding to trust him after all. Alucard came to stand close to him and he held out the other hand for Trevor's. He grasped the older man by the wrist and felt Trevor tense under his touch. Instead of watching the blade in his hand Trevor was watching the dhampir's face. Alucard hid the shake in his hands as he pressed the knife against Trevor's wrist. He flicked his eyes up for confirmation and he found pale blue eyes staring determinedly back at him. 

He pushed the point down hard until it bit deep enough to draw a rivulet of blood. Trevor hissed and Alucard felt his stomach drop. He couldn't remember ever having such a fierce craving such as this. The blood ran down Trevor's arm coating Alucard's fingers. Despite the coolness of the rain Alucard was feeling warm under his coat. He watched Trevor bleed for several seconds before snapping out of his reverie. 

He drew Trevor's wrist above the stone and let the blood spatter onto the runes where the rain helped it pool in the grooves. Alucard concentrated hard on his task even as his impulse tore at him to bring Trevor's wrist to his lips. He made sure each rune was soaked by the blood. When he finally released Trevor's hand he rubbed his bloody fingers together surreptitiously relishing the way it slipped beneath his finger pads. 

It was time to complete the spell. Alucard closed his eyes and pressed his palms to the face of the stone. He drew in his energy and whispered the memorized words to the runes. A red ember glow emanated from the runes telling Alucard that his magic was running through them. The ground seemed to shake for several seconds and the stones seemed to settle in closer around the door, the red glow expanded to include the stones. Alucard fed energy into his spell until it encompassed a radius of twenty or so feet from where they stood. Finally he pulled away, exhaling deeply. The seal had been cast. 

“It's done.” He told Trevor. 

Trevor was wrapping a strip of the hem of his shirt around his wrist, which was already staining red. Alucard knew his time was running out. He couldn't even focus on the satisfaction of completing their project for his thirst. He had to get away from him. 

Alucard indicated the horse and cart. 

“Take her back with you and get dry. I'll be behind you shortly.”

“Where are you going?” snapped Trevor incredulously. 

“To hunt.” Alucard told him, and turned his back on the hunter and stalked into the woods. He had to keep himself from practically running away, and he quickened his pace until he was far enough into the trees to be out of sight. There he ran for a short time until the underbrush grew thicker and the trees denser. When there was almost no light through the branches he stopped to lean his back against a tree and breathed deeply, grounding himself. He didn't wait. He transformed into his wolf form and took off on swift feet into the bushes. He could sense the fleet steps and fast beating hearts fleeing in the underbrush. They didn't escape though and Alucard tore through the forest, feeding from the bodies as they lay dying. 

It was hours later when he finally returned to his bipedal form and he walked slowly until he emerged from the treeline and into the tall grass. He was soaked through. He entered through the kitchen door half expecting to find the hunter there. He was relieved to find he wasn't, as he was both exhausted and unsatisfied by his hunt. The stairs seemed to go on forever. In his makeshift bedroom he discovered Belmont sitting in front of a fire made up in the hearth. 

He turned his head towards him blankly. Trevor seemed unsurprised to see him in his current state. He was sitting cross legged and barefoot in dry clothes. His bandaged arm held up a bottle of very old looking, very dusty mead. 

“Look what I found stashed away.” 

Alucard gazed at him. Leave it to Belmont to find the last remaining alcohol available. He supposed habits died hard. He almost found himself smiling as he stripped off his coat, kicked away his boots and came to stand in front of the fire. He took the bottle from Belmont and drank deeply. He almost spit it out as soon as the dusty sweetness hit his tongue. 

“That's horrible!” He spat. 

“Yeah.” Trevor agreed regrettably.

Alucard changed in the bathroom and came to sit beside Trevor. He found himself unable to say what he had to so he drank with him in companionable silence for awhile. He had finally worked himself up to telling Belmont that he had to leave, that he couldn't stand his proximity any longer and that staying would likely end in further indiscretion or injury, when Trevor spoke. 

“I leave tomorrow. I'm already days late as it is.”

Alucard was surprised by the crushing disappointment he felt hearing it. Suddenly the prospect of living on in this place alone seemed more daunting than before. Maybe he'd been spoiled by the brief interruption to his misery. He thought he would be relieved but he could safely say that wasn't the case. 

“Good. I can give you what provisions I have for your journey.” Alucard told him, pushing his foolishness aside. This was for the best. 

Trevor went on as if Alucard hadn't spoke. 

“Before I leave, I wanted to give you something to thank you for what you did for the Belmont hold.”

Alucard watched him in puzzlement. As Trevor began to unwrap his bandage Alucard understood and his mouth went dry. 

“I can't.” He said. 

“Consider it a truce.” replied Trevor. He finished unwrapping the bandage, took a drink of mead while pulling a face, and held his arm out to Alucard. Alucard shook his head again. He couldn't understand why he was refusing this offering of what he so desperately desired. His heart was beating faster.

“Come on, Vampire.” taunted Trevor.

Being addressed as such flipped a switch in Alucard's mind and his restraint abandoned him. He lashed out a hand and grabbed Trevor's arm, pulling it towards him with such force that the man almost toppled. The young dhampir sank his fangs impatiently into the wound on Trevor's wrist. This caused him to cry out briefly but Alucard ignored this, as he didn't pull away. 

Absolute relief flooded him the moment the blood touched his tongue. His heart beat faster and he drank hungrily without pause for several moments. It was the most exquisite thing he'd ever tasted, he was sure. He licked over the wound he'd made and tasted the coppery sweetness of the broken skin. Eventually he sated himself and to Trevor's credit he endured it until Alucard had drank his fill. 

Trevor's blue eyes were shining with grim fascination when he looked up at him, and he rewrapped his bandage clumsily as Alucard took several deep breaths. Riding the high he felt after feeding, he gave into his reckless impulse to kiss Trevor hard on the mouth. Trevor didn't protest but laced his fingers readily in Alucard's hair, pressing his fingers eagerly into the nape of his neck. 

They said nothing. Feeling confident by now that he knew how to take what he wanted, he pushed Trevor over onto his back. He could still taste the older man's blood in his mouth and wondered if Trevor could taste it too. Straddling the hunter, the dhampir took a fistful of Trevor's hair and twisted his head to reveal more clearly the bite wound he had given him two nights prior. He admired his work with satisfaction. It turned him on to know he had taken the blood of this warrior. That he, a Belmont, had willingly given it pleased him in a deviant way. 

Trevor would only put up with so much of this and he dragged Alucard into him and claimed his mouth again. He let Trevor roll him onto the floor, and they became tangled together again until they were both hard and straining against each other. Alucard broke away first. Trevor's cheeks were flushed and his mouth was parted slightly. With shaking fingers Alucard ignored his own erection and tore open the fastenings to Trevor's trousers. He was rock hard. In his haste he tried to pull Trevor's shirt over his head with such violence that it tore. The hunter laughed at him and Alucard silenced him with a kiss that not accidentally resulted in his teeth catching on Trevor's lip. He grinned at the hiss he elicited from the older man. 

He allowed Trevor to disrobe him to the waist and he bucked his hips involuntarily into his hand as he palmed the dhampir through his trousers. Perhaps it was the press of their limited time together or the blood he had consumed fueling his desperation but he couldn't wait much longer and freed himself from his constraints. He couldn't help stroking himself off for a moment before Trevor interrupted his ministrations by rolling him roughly onto his back and hitching his knees apart wantonly. Alucard could feel the blush creep up his face. 

Trevor spit into his hand and Alucard flushed in earnest. It was a lewd scene that would please no one, alive or dead, that they had known but even so his cock twitched in anticipation of being fucked by a vampire hunter on the floor of his father's castle. Trevor pressed into him and this time he knew to relax. He stroked himself to take his mind of the pain as Trevor entered. The hunter's eyes were narrowed with lust and he clenched his teeth together as he began to stroke with clear restrain. 

Gradually Alucard adjusted to the feeling of Trevor's cock inside him and began to feel the stir of pleasure that overcame the pain. Trevor was drawing in breath between his teeth. He buried himself deeper and Alucard gritted his teeth and closed his eyes and soon Trevor's hand was replacing his, gripping his erection and moving in time with his strokes. Alucard let out a moan before he could stop himself. His body was breaking out in a sweat. 

Unexpectedly Trevor's hand went limp and he let out the breath he had been holding in a long groan. His legs tensed and he gripped Alucards hips painfully hard. He bit his lip as he came in a series of irregular thrusts. When he caught his breath he looked up at Alucard abashedly. 

“Sorry.” 

But he didn't disappoint him and brought him off quite expertly, stroking him in time with their previous pace. Alucard's orgasm was a full body one and he threw his head back onto the carpet open mouthed as hot come spattered his stomach. Trevor was grinning deviously. The dhampir lay stunned for a moment, gasping for breath on the floor in a mess of their own creation. In time they stirred. 

Trevor collapsed next to him on the floor. They didn't speak for a long time. Finally Trevor said, 

“Have you got a quill in that desk over there?”

“What?” said Alucard confused, glancing at the desk in the corner. “I think so.”

“Do you think I could borrow a shirt?” Trevor held up the tatters of his torn garment. 

“Oh.” Said Alucard, suddenly self conscious of his ardor. He pulled his own clothing towards him. “Of course.”

They washed and fell into bed and Alucard found himself drifting off to sleep. It was rare these days but now he was exhausted to his core and soon he knew no more. 

 

The morning brought Trevor's departure. His bags packed with his books, his weapons and some food, he stood ready to mount his horse. Alucard stood watching him with ambivalence. He wasn't ready to face the long months ahead marooned alone in this place but he feared for the consequences if Trevor remained, so he helped him unhitch the mare and bring her around to the path. 

Up until that point he had showed no sign of their encounter together but now he paused and stole a brief kiss before mounting the horse. 

“I'm sure we'll meet again soon.” He told Alucard. 

“Perhaps, Belmont.” He replied. 

He watched him leave until he turned a corner and was gone. He went back to his bedroom and idly began picking up his laundry with half a mind to wash it when he noticed a piece of paper on the desk. He unfolded it and read the handwriting. There was no note, but only a date and the name of an inn in Braila. Alucard's heart pounded in his chest. He considered throwing it in the fire and forgetting about it entirely but instead he slid it into the drawer, closing it with a snap.

**Author's Note:**

> Please comment and let me know what you think!


End file.
